Friday, November 16, 2007

Ancestry.com will soon release a US passport collection with "millions of names from the years 1796 to 1925."

Passports became more popular in the late 1840s. In 1914, American citizens were permitted to travel abroad without passports. If your ancestors were travelers this will be a great collection for you. If you find a hit for one of your ancestors you will get a little gold mine of information. Many of these applications include photos. [Link]

This announcement comes with a sample image, which is almost readable if you squint really hard.

Edward S. Evans, Jr.According to this document, he was Born 19 Mar 1906, in Richmond, VA.The passport application is dated 17 Jun, 1920, which makes Evans 14 years ago. The purpose stated on the passport is to visit the British Isles to attend the International Jamboree. Based on his age, this appears to be the Boy Scout Jamboree.

The 1910 Census lists an Evans Family, living on North Fifth Street, with Edward S. Evans as head; Virginia, his wife, and sons Edward S. Jr. (our boy) and Robert B.; both 4 years old. Also resident in the same household are 14 boarders.

Both boys appear in the 1920 Census, with their parents, now living in Detroit, MI at 119 Dexter Blvd., which is consistent with the address on the passport application.

To confirm my theory that it was the Boy Scout Jamboree that was young Edward's destination, I googled, for Boy Scout Jamboree 1920, and ended up at the Scouting.org website, which discussed the history of the Boy Scout Jamboree, and noted that the premiere event was held in London in 1920

The PineTree web site notes that The Boy Scout Association published The Jamboree Book, 1920 to commemorate the successful completion of the 1st World Jamboree at Olympia, London in the summer of 1920. It presents a record of preparations for and activities at the Jamboree along with a rich collection of seldom-seen photographs from this important Scouting milestone. A further link to that Jamboree book 1920 Jamboree book records of the American scouts that "The boys struck camp on Monday morning, August 9th, and entrained for Dover. They embarked on a special cross-channel steamer at Dover and arrived in Boulogne at noon.

From Boulogne, where they became the guests of the French Government, they began a tour of the battlefields of France, which included a trip to Paris. Upon the invitation of the Belgian Government a visit was made to the principal cities of Belgium and a day was spent at the Olympic Games at Antwerp, " which is completely consistent with Edward's additional destinations on his passport application - France and Belgium- to visit battlefields.

The same world Jamboree book which describes the US Scouts, and their plans also noted "The American delegation assembled in New York and embarked on July 6th, on the United States Army Transport "Pocohontas." This vessel, which during the war made nine trips and transported over 20,000 United States troops overseas, was placed at the disposal of the Boy Scouts by the United States Government."

This also matches the information on young Edward's passport application.

Yes, he was headed to the first Boy Scout Jamboree. I would assume that Robert also attended--the local BSA council is mentioned in his obit.

Robert B. Evans died in August 1998; his twin had died earlier in the year.

Their father, Edward Steptoe Evans, Sr., had a great interest in human flight, founded the National Glider Association, and in 1926 set a record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe (28 days, 14 hours, 36 minutes) with co-pilot Linton Wells.